Signs point to Bice

Travis Tucker, 21, Manassas, Va.: The second-youngest male in the competition said he was feeling the pressure of being one step away from the final 12, and it showed. Simon called him a born performer last week, and perhaps inspired by that he picked Bobby Brown's "Every Little Step." It allowed him to showcase his dance moves, but the vocals just weren't there. Randy gave him an A for performance, and a D for vocals, while Simon called it as good as something you would get in a theme park.
Sign: Aries
Grade: C-
Stay or Go? If Tucker stays in the competition, it won't be because of this performance this week. But it was bad enough — and everyone else was good enough — that he's probably on his way out.

Mario Vazquez, 27, New York: After two weeks of uptempo numbers, Vazquez picked a ballad in "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart," sung previously by many, many people, including former "Idol" winner Ruben Studdard. He took off his trademark hat for the occasion and, as Simon pointed out, the effect was not unlike a boy coming home to meet his girlfriend's parents for the first time. But it worked like a charm, and he showed another aspect to his talent that impressed both the audience and the judges.
Sign: Gemini
Quote: "It would be a very bad top 12 if you're not in it." – Randy Jackson.
Grade: B+
Stay or go? It showed a lot of confidence for Vazquez to pick a song like that with a berth in the finals at stake. That confidence was well-placed. He'll make it into the finals.

Constantine Maroulis, 29, New York: Maroulis definitely has the personality of an Idol, which he showed again Monday night with the Police's "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic." The vocals were fine, but the performance was enough to impress the judges. And he gave the universal symbol for a telephone by his ear while mouthing the words "call me" when he was standing next to Ryan afterwards, which should pass a few extra votes his way.
Sign: Virgo
Grade: B
Stay or go? Maroulis and Scott Savol did about the same, and Savol's vocals were probably a little better. But expect Maroulis to stand a little higher in the pecking order, since he's been able to get his personality to shine a little more than his rival's.

Anwar Robinson, 25, Elizabeth, N.J.: Robinson definitely isn't one to pick the easy songs. "What a Wonderful World" is one that almost everyone has heard, thanks to the great Louis Armstrong, and Robinson seemed to struggle out of the gates. But he came through at the finish, and likely secured his place in the final 12.
Sign: Taurus
Quote: You and Paula should marry and have children." – Simon Cowell. Cowell was referring to how "nice" Robinson seems to be, and comparing him to the similar niceness of his fellow judge. But because this is not "The Bachelor," no ring nor rose was offered.
Grade: B+
Stay or Go? Robinson has an outstanding voice, which will probably be enough for him to move on. Whether he's a pop star in the making or not … well, the coming weeks will tell that tale.

Craig Berman is a writer in Washington, D.C.

MORE FROM AMERICAN IDOL

Happy birthday, Simon, the best mean Brit ever

Happy birthday, Simon, the best mean Brit ever ‘Idol Gives Back’ returns to ‘American Idol’ Ellen brings EveryFan sensibility to ‘Idol’ Paula Abdul wishes Ellen luck on ‘Idol’   Add American Idol headlines to your news reader: